


AfterFlower

by cutiepieviv



Category: Flowerfell - Fandom, Undertale, Undertale (Video Game), afterflower
Genre: Afterflower - Freeform, Alternate Universe - Flowerfell, Alternate Universe - Underfell, Death, Drama, Flowerfell, Other, Sad, Tragedy, Tragic Romance, Underfell, Underfell Sans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-23
Updated: 2016-11-23
Packaged: 2018-09-01 15:39:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8629648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cutiepieviv/pseuds/cutiepieviv
Summary: Sans fell into deep despair after Frisk's death. He wished to see them again, to smile, to laugh with them just like before. But what would he do, if he had the power to reset? The chance to create a new world where they could both be happy? Would he take that chance? Even if it meant risking his soul?
  //Just letting you all know that this takes place after the Undertale AU called Flowerfell. I did not make Flowerfell, but I am the creator of this au AfterFlower.





	1. Restarting A World

There lay the skeleton by the fallen human. Both of their hands intertwined with one another like a woven basket. Yellow flowers filed Frisk's countenance, body, and soul. The wind played mellow tunes as the air wrapped around the two bodies, skimming their face with speckles of sunlight. Not a breath or sound was heard. Only the mellow whimpers of the skeleton laying helplessly by the deceased human. Sans had given up hope. The one small light in this dim underground world seemed to have disappeared without a trace. All around him, darkness was swallowing him up, consuming and filling his soul with utter sadness. Sans never imagined that someone like himself could experience happiness. Ever since the human fell from above like an angel, his permanent fake smile turned genuine. And now, that happiness was gone, stolen from him by small golden flowers.

Sans turned to the side, tears clouded his vision within his eye sockets. Frisk's face was ever so pale, cold, and motionless. Ever since Frisk had died, all he had done was stare at them, hoping, just hoping that this was all a dream. That they would wake up and everything would be okay like before.

Sans closed his eyes shut, turning to the side, not able to stand looking them in the face, knowing he let them down. Knowing that he was responsible for many of the flowers on their body. Sitting up, he knew it was over for him too. Perhaps he felt this way ever since he placed their body onto the yellow path of flowers on the ground. What was the point of being alive, if the reason for him to live had died. Withered. He peered up into the ruins, shining light poured down towards him. His eyes stung from the warm rays as tears continued to dance down his cheeks and onto the flowers below him.

"Are ya up there sweetheart?...Can I be there with you too?" The skeleton reached his hand upward, as if trying to grasp the impossible, trying to grab the friend he had lost.

Sans had forgotten how long it had been. Hours? Days? Perhaps more. He never left the human's side. The skeleton wanted to protect them even in death. His jacket had remained loosely wrapped around their body, His one last prayer was to die with them. To see them. To be happy once more with Frisk. His light. His golden flower.

Their last dying wish was all that filled his empty mind. To take their soul and set everyone free. But what was the point of being free, if he couldn't be with them? Just the thought of their soul trapped within Asgore's grasp churned his very core. It was worse than betrayal. Stealing Frisk's soul selfishly for everyone else while they stayed behind, slowly being eaten away by the earth.

With the little bit of energy Sans had left, he stood up slowly, head pounding with an aching pulse. Standing to his feet, that everlasting smile on his face stained with regretful tears. Pulling back his red sleeve, he raised his hand towards the sky, eye glowing a light red as bones began to materialize around his body.

"What's the point of living...If you aren't here with me..." Sans' hand shook immensely as he swallowed nervously, drawing the bones closer to his chest, head arching to kiss the sky. "If I can't be with you in body... I'll be with you in soul..." His smile widened with remorse as he firmly shut his eyes, preparing to finish his last final words. His repent of atonement.

"Maybe...Just maybe...If I do this and end my life...I'll be able to see you again...Sweetheart. Wouldn't that be nice?..." He swung his head back, preparing for the final blow, but right before he could do so, a soft light floated from the body beside him. It was a crimson colored heart. Frisk's soul. The bones dissipated into the air around him as he turned to face them, his eyes bewildered. Sans knelled beside the body, taking Frisk into his arms and clutching onto their body carefully, as if scared that they would break at any second. The soul hovered above Frisk's chest. It's color seemed to become duller with each passing second. The soul transcended closer to Sans. Kneeling beside the body, he outstretched his arms, fingers wrapping around the glowing shape.

"If I give you to King Asgore...We can all be free...But you'll...be gone forever... Used for someone elses happiness instead of your own." He moved the soul closer to his heart, hoping to keep it warm in his grasp.

"If only I had the power to reset..But we monsters don't have determination like you..." His eyes widened as he looked down at the soul spinning slowly in his hand. Sans felt as if it was tugging on his soul, calling to him.

"Maybe...Just maybe...If I had determination, Then I could bring you back. And I could stop everyone before this all happened. The surface is nothing if you can't experience it with me." Clasping tighter onto the dulled soul, he pressed it up against his clothes, hugging it, and it began sinking into his rib cage. He knew the risks of monsters mixed together with determination. But, he felt as if it was the only thing left he could do. "Even if this soul ends up shattering me, I'm willing to take the chance if it's for you..." He slowly shut his eyes, feeling the soul melt into him. The warmth clinging onto his chest and blending together with his own.

From his closed eyes, he sensed a bright light emitting from his golden necklace around his neck, dangling down his chest. The star like shape was glowing bright, enveloping itself entirely around Frisk and himself. Sans raised one hand to shield his eyes from the light. All the light gathered into one spot, forming a rectangular shape and floated before him. The radiance danced around the two like fireflies and gathered in front of the skeleton. The word 'RESET' was engraved in light and carved into the air. Sans' eyes grew large, wondering if this wish had come true, the promise he made to them of being together forever.

"Will this button...fix what has been broken?... Will... Will I be able to see Frisk again?" He reached out for the light, fingers brushing up against the surface, feeling the warmth of the reset button's light. Sans couldn't go back now. The urge to see that smile on the human had been far too long. He pressed the button, expecting the worse of this choice he had made.

Touching the reset button made the light burst the button apart in continuous spirals that swarmed around him at a rapid pace. They danced down towards Frisk's body and lifted them slowly off the ground. Wind churned the air around them and blew Frisk's hair in disarray. Small bubbles of light flew upward from both bodies, some resting onto Frisk's flowers. The petals on their body began peeling off, floating upward and disappearing into the light within his necklace. Time was turning back before his eyes, as if rewinding a movie. All the memories, fights, the precious days they spent together, disappearing, fading away into the darkness. Even Frisks body began to grow blurry. He picked up the body, and held onto them tightly. The golden light swarmed around them, reflecting off of their skin and bone. He looked down at the human, barely able to see them from the stinging aura.

"I promise...I'll make things better this time." He shut his eyes, resting his forehead on theirs, leaving both their fates to time and the power of resetting.


	2. Seeing You Again

Sans' eyes opened slowly and he looked down at his hands, squeezing his fingers softly into his palms. His head was still throbbing from the bright light that lashed at his eyes. Stumbling upward, small patches of moisture sank into his black shorts. The snow, deepened around where he stood, creating imprints underneath his feet. The cold frozen smell of minty crisp pine trees lingered through the air. Familiar sounds of the howling wind blew thought the trees, skimming across the frosted leaves. All around him was emptiness, the color of white snow. The human had disappeared and he was no longer by the patch of flowers. Instead, he was at the front of the closed gates just outside the ruins. The surface of the door's exterior was rusted and covered in ice. The reset had worked and time somehow managed to turn back. His wish of being with them again could finally come true.

"It actually worked...I...I reset ..."

He cast his vision upward. It was snowing as usual, and the chilled wind played around him. Knowing that the reset worked and all seemed normal, he didn't waste a second to find Frisk. He squeezed his eyes shut as magic surrounded him entirely. Blood colored mist flooded out of his eye, his body glitching away and being swallowed by his own magic. Sans teleported within the ruins, running to find that small patch of flowers from where Frisk originally fell. The place where it all began. His breath was short, puffs of cold breath followed behind him and his body began to tire as he came closer and closer. Frisk didn't seem to have fallen yet and he slowed his pace until he reached the yellow patch. Stopping under the hole shimmering with light, Sans arched his neck upward towards the hole. Freckles of the sun's rays shone down, reflecting off of his cheekbones. Raindrops of sweat danced and ran down the curves of his face. From far above, a small figure was drifting downwards at a fast pace. Falling closer and closer each second. Outstretching his arms, he awaited for the figure to fall, hoping that what was crashing down was the human he reset for.

Coming down like an angel from heaven, the figure came falling down into the skeletons arms making him fall backwards. Sans' body crushed the flowers underneath him, sending petals to fly in disharmony. Yellow pollen dusted onto his brown jacket and shorts. Squinting his eyes, his hands clutched tightly to protect the fallen object. He looked at the human, their face embedded into his shirt. His body began to tremble quietly. The fond blue and dark lavender colors of their stripped shirt, their short brown hair. It was Frisk, the human whom he cared for.

"I-It's you...It's really you!" Sitting up, flower petals slipped away from his skull, twisting down to the ground. Sans clung onto the human, bringing them closer, words muffled by his tears, his voice vibrating. "I thought...I thought I lost you..."

Frisk lightly raised their head from his quivering chest. They rubbed their closed eyes and tilted their head to the side. Strands of hair drifted into their view. Everything was just as how it had been when Sans first met them. Everything but one small golden flower resting in their hair.

"Heh...It seems I couldn't get rid of all the flowers. Sorry Frisk." The skeleton let out a strained chuckle, wiping away at tear droplets that escaped his eyes.

Frisk narrowed their slender eyebrows together, one hand reaching out to touch the skeletons cheek. Confusion would have filled their eyes if they were opened. Frisk opened their mouth to speak, pink lips arching open to form words. Their voice quieter than a whisper. "Sorry... Do I, know you?"

The skeleton paused for a moment, surprised by their question."Of course you do... Sweetheart it's me!" Bending his head down to reach the humans eye level, he softly caressed the messy strands of hair on the top of their head, fingers picking and moving the loose strands away from their complexion.

Frisk removed their hand from his cheek and placed a small finger on their petite lips, as if in thought. Narrowing their head down, they paused for a few seconds, trying to grasp any memories of this peculiar skeleton. But no memories came. They were nothing more than a stranger, a monster they had just met. Raising their head up to meet his gaze, Frisk swayed their head in disapproval.

"I don't...know you." The tone was soft and kind, yet puzzled by their situation. "I'm sorry. I've never met you before."

Sans choked on his voice, unable to form words with his skeletal mouth. How could he have forgotten the cruel fate of resets. Just as all monsters would forget, Frisk's memories were wiped clean. Erased from existence. He was the bringer of this reset. He was the only one that could remember.

"So that's how resets work..." He wrapped his arms around the human, not wanting to except the cruel fate. Even in the past, when Frisk reset the world, it took countless times before he could grasp the memories they had together. "It's fine...If you can't remember me...You being alive is all that matters..." The skeleton sank his skull into their shoulder, tears melting into Frisk's shirt.

The human wanted to pull away from this stranger, but something stopped them. Their heart ached and filled with sadness seeing the skeleton in pain. They wanted to comfort him, even if it meant embracing this stranger. Watching as he raised his head, smile tainted with tears, Frisk brushed their hand against his cheek, pitying him.

"Sir. On your cheek..." The human spoke.

"My cheek?" He raised a non existing eyebrow as he lingered a finger across his smooth cheek. A soft unmovable object remained stuck on the surface of his bone. After examining it with his fingers, it appeared to be a flower. A golden bud had erupted onto his cheek. Sans tried to pull it away, but in return, a sharp pain formed around the flower.

"W-What the...A flower? But why?" Why had he grown a flower when the only person that could was Frisk? It seemed impossible, no it was impossible. Perhaps he had changed the laws of the underground world from contorting time back unnaturally. Being able to gain determination was already the unthinkable, yet he was able to make that dream come true. To wipe the old world clean, and create a new one.

"Forget about the flower. Forget about the past...If Frisk really doesn't remember me...I'll just create new memories instead. I'll reenact the old times we had spent together... " The skeleton spoke to himself as he rose from the floor. He looked down at the human and outstretched one hand to help them up. The human stared back into his eyes, feeling as if they knew this monster before. Reaching their small hand upward, they grasped gently onto Sans' hand, lifting themselves upward. The touch of his bones, the curves that their hands created when the two came together, the familiar caress of this greeting. Something within Frisk sparked, perhaps awakening something deep within.

"I'm Sans...Sans the skeleton." A genuine smile rose on his cheeks as he looked at the human a few inches smaller than him.

"Sans." The feeling of small strings tugged onto the humans heart. The name that Frisk heard rang soft bells through their ears. A resonance, a name that seemed so familiar, so dear. They froze, eyes glued on the hand they clung to, experiencing a daze before lightly rubbing their head covered in chestnut hair. "I'm Frisk."

They left the ruins after some time, opening the gates that sealed the entrance to the snowy area. Sans wanted to avoid the unnecessary fights of other monsters that once took a tole on Frisk's body. The fights that shortened their lifespan. Never again would he let that happen. He held onto their hand tightly, not wanting to ever let them go. Looking up, Sans watched as the drifting snowflakes danced and dusted over his jacket. A waltz of white, the wind playing as the conductor, and the snow as the musicians. Ghostly footprints creased into the snow and followed behind them like a forgotten friend. He could feel the human's hand quivering, giving off a cold touch. The wind was rough against their skin, leaving a raw salmon color to their cheeks.

"Here. Take my jacket." Pealing away the dark brown cloth filled with warmth, he turned towards the human and delicately wrapped it around them in a caring manner. Frisk wanted to refuse this kindness, afraid the skeleton would freeze, but their body craved the warmth. They fixated at Sans with a worried expression.

"Don't worry about me Frisk. Skeletons can't feel much anyway." Sans gave a reassuring smile. His yellow jagged tooth shone in the sunlight as he tugged the hood over their head, its cream colored fur lurking and swaying above their eyes. Its scent was stained with the smell of old mustard. It must have been quite some time since the jacket had been washed. A musty smell, yet nostalgic at the same time as Frisk clung onto the opening of the jacket, feeling the heat sinking into their body. A soothing feeling as if being where they belonged again. It felt like home.

"You said that to me last time too." The human hummed softly. "That skeletons can't feel, but I don't think that's true."

The laughter subsided seconds later, Frisk questioning what they had just said. The words that unconsciously leaked from their throat. "Last time?..." Their perplexed countenance trailed upwards like a winding road, locking eye contact with Sans. "Has this happened before? Have we met before?"

A sudden light pinch formed on Frisks cheek and they let out a small yelp. Their hands scrambled upward, fingers wandering around the sensitive area. As Frisk rubbed their sore cheek, they felt something familiar grow onto them. Its shape, its texture, its soft lemon sent. A fresh golden yellow flower had bloomed.

"A flower?...But how?" Sans was horrified and his voice grew low.

They haven't encountered an enemy, yet Frisk grew a flower. He outstretched his arm to touch the bud, but soon enough, he too felt a short stinging sensation on his left cheek bone. He clenched his mouth tightly and squinted one eye as the pain began to fade away. A flower had blossomed on him.

The two looked at each other, showing the expression of confusion and fear. Frisk didn't know how flowers worked in the past, nor what these buds of death would end up doing to their body, slowly breaking at the flesh, weakening them. Killing them.

"F-Forget about it sweetheart...I'm sure it's nothing..." The skeleton shook his head, not wanting Frisk to find out the horrid truth, and tried to forget of what had just happened. He grasped onto the human's hand once more. He was trembling, fearing of this outcome. He didn't care how many flowers would bloom on himself. But just the thought, that he reset the world just for Frisk to suffer again, it shook the entirety of his soul.

"I'll show you around my town alright?" Sans forced a smile at the human as they began striding forward, coming closer to the bridge not far from them. "And you won't have to worry about any monsters. If trouble happens, I'll just teleport us away from them understand?" His voice was caring, compassionate, yet demanding. His main priority was Frisk's life, and he planned on making it stay that way.

Frisk felt as if they could trust this man and made a small nod of approval. They knew somehow, deep in their heart, that this skeleton was a kind person, that he was more than he seemed.

The creaking of the bridge startled Frisk, afraid that the old braided ropes beside each side of the them would break. But they kept moving forward, small hands unknowingly grasping onto Sans, bringing him closer. Sans could feel just how nervous the human was. Their breath fogged white cotton balls into the frost biting air, the ends of their hair crusted with ice.

Wrapping one arm around them for comfort, he tried to sooth Frisk's nervous heart. "Common don't be scared. You seem shaken down to the bone."

The human let out a small giggle, their tensed shoulders bending downward in a relaxed state. His cheesy jokes played through their mind like a music box. Frisk tilted their head to the side, relaxing their forehead on his chest. A smile arched on their lips, feeling the comfort he hoped to bring them.

After walking across the suspended bridge, they came to the town of Snowdin. A very nostalgic place in both Sans' and Frisk's eyes. Light clinking music came from all directions, giving the town a soft and warm feeling despite the weather's condition.

"This is my town Snowdin. It can be a quite place, and lively at the same time. My brother and I live close the edge of town." The skeleton glanced at the human. "But he can't meet you and he will never meet you. If he does, he will take your soul to King Asgore..." 

"Soul? King Asgore?" Frisk gave a confused expression at Sans and murmured quietly. Because Sans had avoided every battle to protect Frisk, they had no idea how the world underground worked, or about resets. They were lost in a sea of empty memories.

"Heh...I forgot...You don't know about battles or souls do you?" He chuckled softly.

The human shook their head as they turned to face the monster.

"Well you see...Here, underground...We have been trapped here for ages. Humans sealed us down here after the war, and the only way to get out...Well..." He peered down at Frisk's chest where their soul remained dormant, untouched. "We would need seven human souls to break the barrier that entrapped us... If we don't, we will never see the surface again. So... Every human before you that has fallen, has gotten into battles and lost. As a result, their soul was taken from them..."

Frisk took a step back, fearing that this monster would harm them, and take their soul. Shaky hands laid upon one another against their chest, trying to protect their hidden soul.

"Don't worry sweetheart...I'm here to protect you. I know you might not believe me since I am a stranger to you...But..." The skeleton shook his head, voice sounding weak." Look into my eyes, look into my soul. Don't you believe me? If I really did want to hurt you, you would already be dead where you stand."

Frisk paused for a moment, wanting to take this chance to run away. But instead, they were filled with determination to believe this man. Something within Sans' eyes filled Frisk with sadness and remorse. They took a step forward, looking into his sockets. This skeleton, sturdy with a wide smile might have looked unharmed, but when Frisk gazed at him, he was more fragile than a flower.

"I know you are a stranger...My body is telling me to run..." They swallowed, feeling the dryness of their throat as they spoke. "My soul wants to stay with you and I'm not sure why. You may seem like a stranger on the outside, but I believe you are a good person Sans. If you weren't, I wouldn't be wearing your jacket." Frisk gave a closed eye smile as their hand reached onto the side of the jacket and pulled softly on it.

A sigh of relief rang out of his mouth, head tilting to the side as he ruffled the humans hair. His mouth formed a simple word. "Thanks."


	3. A Forgotten Friend

The snow crunched melodic tunes underneath their feet as Sans outstretched an arm, pointing to the small tavern before them. The word 'Grillby's' was engraved into the woods surface above the entrance door.

"We...Well, I used to spend most of my time here at Grillby's. It can be kind of loud here sometimes, but everyone here is very kind. If ya get to know them." He slipped his hand down, fingers and palms grasping onto the humans small cold hand as they both walked towards the door.

Frisk stayed close beside Sans, fearful of all the monsters within this small cramped building. He opened the door and entered inside. Monsters filled up every table except two circular chairs by the bar. Loud disoriented noises and drunken laughter clashed with one another, and the sound of glass cups clanked onto wooden tables. The room was filled with hot fumes that beaded small pearls of sweat on Frisk. Perhaps it was from the bartender in the front bursting with flames.

As they came closer to the two seats, it was clear that this man before them was on fire. Dark lavender colored flames lashed at the air on top of his head. He wore a sophisticated black tuxedo despite the casual attire of the room. The man on fire would push his glasses upward on his face every few moments as if in habit. He also appeared to be drying an already dried glass cup.

"Hey Grillby." Sans sat himself down, comfortable by his surroundings and tapped the seat beside him. Frisk came close, swinging their legs onto the chair and sinking into the padded cushion.

The fire monster that went by the name of Grillby didn't seem to talk. He looked at Sans with silver glossed eyes and nodded, his flames in perfect alignment with his head. As if by instinct, the flaming bartender pulled a mustard bottle from behind the counter and slid it towards Sans. The skeleton caught it and popped the cap open. He tilted his head back, squeezing the substance across his teeth and gave a quick glance at Frisk. Their face was sour, nose scrunched as they watched the skeleton swallow almost all of the mustard in his mouth.

"You want some?" Sans motioned his finger, pointing to the condiment as he lowered it from his mouth. Raspy chuckles escaped his closed mouth as he licked the mustard away from his fanged teeth.

"No thank you." They raised their hands, flailing them from side to side. The stench of the tangy yellow substance lingered out of the skeletons mouth. " I-I'm not really a mustard person" Soft giggles skipped away, ridding across their breath. The both of them stared eye to eye for a moment before breaking into playful laughter, monsters around the them eyeing the pair. The aura of the room brightened up, their laughter arching the mouths of every monster's gloomy expression and turning them into smiles. Even the bartender with purple flames seemed like his sparks grew brighter within his dull eyes.

This is what Sans wanted, what he yearned for. Just this moment, this simple happy moment is what he risked his soul for. To be able to see their smile again. It didn't matter if he would have to face the consequences from this unnatural reset. Just hearing their laugh, being able to embrace them. It filled him with determination.

"Alright. Suit yourself. More for me then. I was kind of expecting that response from you anyway." Sans' chuckles subsided as he gnawed on the bottles plastic snout. "Are you hungry for anything?"

"No thank you." Frisk was happy that they were given kindness, but their mind seemed to wander back and forth on a thought that itched and bugged their mind.

The human watched the monster gleefully for a few moments in complete peace before speaking, not being able to hold in the question they had wanted to ask for these long passing minutes. "Hey Sans?" Frisk grew quiet, their laughing fell into a decrescendo and their vision focused down onto the wooden table stained with the color of old beverages.

"Huh? What is it sweetheart?" Sans turned his body to look at the human, placing all his attention towards them.

"When I fell from above and you caught me..." Frisk let out a worried breath, wanting to bite back the words that were about to escape. " You said my name...How did you know my name if you've never met me before? I've never told anyone my name..."

The skeleton paused, scratching the back of his skull as he placed the yellow bottle down. He should have known that they would have asked. Frisk has always been a curious individual, and he knew that he couldn't hide the truth forever.

"Would it be hard to believe...If we once knew each other before? In the past?" If Sans was human, his fingers would be frozen to the tips from anxiety and agitation."That we once knew each other in another timeline?" His eyes wavered away, looking to the ground. His throat grew dry and brittle.

Frisk filled with confused, brown eyebrows arching low, trying to obtain what the monster was saying. Frisk twisted their hips on the chair to fully face the skeleton. The creaking of the wooden chair sang through the room.

"Heh...Sorry hun. You must think I'm some sort of mad man don't ya?" He should have known. There was no way for Frisk to remember. Their memory was erased from their mind forever. The reset rewound time before they met, before those memories were made. "Sorry about rambling on about past lives...Impossible things..."

"No...You aren't crazy sans. I feel like..." They clasped their hands over their heart and lowered their head humbly as if in prayer. Hair flowed over their eyes like a curtain. "I feel like we have done this all before... Like this is all being repeated. When you let me borrow your jacket, feeling the snow's cold touch, watching as you drank the mustard, hearing the sound of your name in my head. It seemed all like a dream...But...There is one thing that I cant get rid of in my mind..." They took in a breath of air, silencing themselves for a moment, breath becoming shaky.

The skeleton was in awe. Perhaps it was possible for Frisk to remember, to regain those precious memories that were taken. Although they have only spent hours together, Frisk was remembering things. Even if they were blurry or distant from there view, there was hope. Hope that they may one day remember the friend that they lost through time.

"N-Never mind." Frisk's gaze faded from his view, their head turned back towards the bar, closed eyes staring at the table's wooden surface. Frisk's complexion veiled by the blanket of hair on the side of their face. They brought their hands up, elbows propping on the table, hiding their face completely.

"What was Frisk going to say before they stopped themselves?..." The skeleton reached outward, arms pressed against the humans slender shoulders, fingers sliding into the ocean of fabric over their skin. The skeleton released his closed jaw, speaking once more. "Hey, common sweetheart...don't be like that..."

Grasping onto Frisk's chin, He turns their face towards him, complexion being revealed before him. A new patch of flowers had grown out of their skin.

"What the..." He drew back from the human, hands releasing their shoulders. "Those weren't there before we came here... They weren't there until a f-few seconds ago..."

"What do you mean?" Seeing that Sans was staring at their face, Frisk instinctively placed a hand over their cheek. Petals swaying from fingers brushing up against them. The yellow dusty pollen staining the tips of their pale fingers. The small cluster of flowers laid in bloom below their right eye, tainting their cheeks in yellow, the smell of lemons and dead flowers lingered its way into their nasal cavity. The color of the flowers smudged onto their skin from their fingers lingered downward to their chin.

"Have more flowers...grown on me? Does this always happen to humans down here?" They asked.

His face froze into a glassy stare of horror. The flora had spread onto their skin like some fatal disease. He motioned his jaw, about to speak, but his mind grew hazy. A blank space wiping over his mind, the world around him bending, contorting into the folds of a timeless blanket. Phalanges scratched upwards, pressed up onto the curves of his bony cheeks. The light crackling noises of his skull could be heard bouncing quietly as his mind wandered from reality. Fugacious puffs of white light flickered through his sockets, the rotten taste of fear icing over his bones. Chrystal clear memories of his past life forming and curving around him. A few remained clear, while others were being dragged away by some invisible entity. All was still, motionless around him. Monsters in all directions gazed at him with worried eyes, and the delicate touch of someone familiar wrapped around his shoulders. They kept calling, trying to reach out to him, the distant voice growing louder, and louder.

"Sans? Sans! " Frisk spoke Sans' name repetitively, dainty fingers around his shoulder." Are you alright?" They continued to shake the skeleton lightly, their soothing voice seeping into his nonexistent ear canals.

The blinding color of white light that he only saw disappeared around him, fading away once more into nothingness. He peered around himself, noticing his placement where he sat, head sunken into his shoulders, the dewy drops of sweat on his forehead, the warm smell of a flickering flame enveloping his senses. Both the human and the bartender looked at him with worried expressions.

"What...Where am I?" The hands that held him released their hold as Sans snapped back into reality.

Frisk's breaths and shoulders heaved in relief, their body arched backwards in comfort. "You spaced out for a while there...I was getting a little worried...Are you alright?" Closed eyes locked onto his skull. Sweat was rolling down and gathering under his chin.

Sans' eyes darted uneasily and examined the room, from the monsters sitting around the tables, to the worried fire monsters behind the bar. His vision was still blurry, like the damp mist coated over mirrors from a warm shower.

"What was that?" His voice was dry. "I saw a bright light...And when it disappeared, I ended up here.." Sans skimmed a few fingers across his skull, feeling the fresh bloomed flowers. "More flowers?..."

"Y-Yes..Many were growing when you spaced out.." Frisk's fingers woven into the buds above his skull, feeling, the flower's roots growing from out his skull. The damp feeling of their spiraled stems crawled up towards to greet the sky. "Your eyes were flashing white..." Their closed eyes shut tighter than usual expressing a feeling of worry.

"Flashing white?" Resting an elbow on the table, Sans' cradled his head within the palms of his hand, trying to remember the last thing he was doing. He was lost in his own thoughts. He tried to piece together the steps of how he got to this unfamiliar building. "All I remember is us leaving the ruins after I found you...And going across some large bridge..."

"Yes yes that's right! Then you wanted to show me around your town and Grillby's remember?" Alleviating sighs left their lungs, relieved that Sans was alright.

But the skeleton was far from being fine. He pressed two bony fingers to the upper sides of nose. Sans' sockets closed as he shook his head. He paced invisible steps in his mind. He remembered the reset, meeting Frisk at the ruins, plowing through the snow. But, after crossing the bridge, his memories grew weak and faded into a blinding white. No matter how hard he tried to grasp it, no memory came into view.

"Sorry sweetheart..." He squeezed his eyes once more before opening them and rubbed the sweat off his forehead. "All I remember is meeting you and preparing to cross some bridge. After that...everything becomes misty. I don't even know how we ended up here..."

"Sans...Are you alright?" After a long silence, the fire monster broke the quietude and spoke, his vibrant flames now a pale shade of purple. Grillby's once wide fiery grin flattened in worry of both Sans complexion covered with flowers and his memory loss.

Sans stared into the eyes of this lavender man, eyeing him up and down. No recollection sparked in his soul. "Sorry bud. I don't think we have ever met."

Grillby's hands froze in place, fingers releasing their hold on the cup. The sound of glass clashed down onto the ground, and everyone within the room turned heads towards the noise.

"H-Hey buddy...You feeling okay?" Sans jumped off the chair and scooped up the bits and pieces of broken glass into his palm. "You should be more careful with fragile objects." He gave a plain smile to Grillby, placing the small amount of glass shards onto the table.

"You..." The bartender's purple hue grew dimmer and dimmer until it turned into a light grey. His flames swerved and licked at the air as he stared down at the human. The pits of his eyes sparked fear into Frisk's heart.

"What did you do to Sans?" The smooth tone Grillby once had crackled like flames in a fire pit, low and demonic rumbles roared and climbed out his burning throat. His glassy eyes snapped open as bursts of flames shot out towards the ceiling, scorching the wood, leaving a black tint to its surface. His small glasses flung off his face and spun down to the ground.

Full of terror, the human fell backwards onto the floor with a loud crash, their head roughly meeting the floor's unwelcoming embrace. Frisk felt the heat of the monster scratch at their cheeks, the room growing hotter with each passing second. Scampering out of their chairs, the visitors of the tavern flew towards the door and scrambled away into the snow. Not once has anyone seen Grillby this infuriated. He was more of the calm and collected type, always minding his own business and never speaking a word. Seeing him with such a dramatic change, it filled everyone with fear.

The skeleton reached down and grabbed onto Frisk's sides, helping their wobbling legs to stand. A blaze of red shot of from one of Sans' eyes.

"Look...I don't know who you are...But Frisk here did nothing wrong. We've been seeing these flowers grow on us without our control. Just calm down, and let's talk about this. We don't need to be violent do we? " Sans bent down on one knee, picking up the glasses on the floor, and cleaning them with the bottom of his red shirt. The surface seemed to have cracked slightly.

"Here, your glasses. Sorry but, they seemed to have broken a bit when they fell..." Sans reached out, glasses in the center of his palm. Despite Grillby's terrifying appearance, Sans did not fear him, instead he gave the monster kindness.

Grillby darted his eyes to and from the skeleton and the human, soul thumping with anger. But, when he saw the light smile and kindness Sans had given him, he couldn't help but feel calmer, more relaxed. In his past life, Sans has always short tempered, conniving, and quite full of himself and his cheesy puns. If given a second to choose, the skeleton would have chosen murder instead of mercy, to be cruel instead of caring. But now, his eyes sparked with something Grillby had never seen in him before. A calm yet blinding light flickered from within his soul. An operatic melody that the underground hadn't seen in ages. Kindness, mercy, hope.

His grey fire-like hand took the glasses from Sans, the tint in his flames beginning to come back. Grillby pushed his glasses up to the center arch of his face, clearing his voice before he spoke.

"How do I know that you aren't lying. How can I trust you to be alongside with some human? For all I know, they could be manipulating you with their so called Determination."

Grillby shut his eyes, trying to calm the furnace that burned within him. " You're the closest friend I'll ever have... Please Sans, this joke isn't funny this time, you know my temper can spark easily. You have to remember me...You can't just suddenly forget."

"Look into my eyes bud. If I really am this so called 'friend' of yours, would I be one to lie to you?" Sans placed a limp hand on the bartender's shoulder. His red beaded eyes shone, untainted with lies. Every word he spoke was firm, unwavering and filled with truthfulness. "But, as much as I would love to stay and chat, Frisk and I should be heading out soon."

Grillby paused for a moment, head gazing away from Sans. Although his best friend was standing right before him, Sans had no recollection of him. Grillby forced himself to speak, his words wanting to hide in the darkness.

"And just where are you taking this human? To King Asgore I presume?"

Placing both hands into the side pockets of his black shorts, Sans shook his head lightly. "No, and I never will. Frisk here used to have memories, very important memories. But, they disappeared. I was hoping that taking them around to their favorite spots here would trigger some to come back."

"Is this why Sans takes me to all these places? I really have lost memories?" They spoke to themselves. With a clueless expression, Frisk eyed the pair, still standing behind the skeleton, knees lightly shaking against one another. Despite wanting to doubt Sans' claim, they knew something was different about themselves. A few moments ago, no remembrance came to them about this cavern or the monsters within it. But now, that lost memory was crystal clear, placed back into their mind.

"And as much as I would love to stay and chat..." Sans took the human's hand in his, turning his back towards Grillby and heading for the door. "The two of us should really be going."

The fire man reached his hand out from behind the counter, wanting to stop Sans in his tracks, motioning his mouth to shout out to him. But, his voice was held back, caged up deep inside his throat. Grillby's purple flames grew a duller grey as he stared down at the counter, fingers curling into the center of his warm palm. "F-fine...But, you must promise me one thing."

Stopping in their tracks, both Sans and the human tilted their heads, hearing the monsters call.

"When you are done showing the human around, and they have their memories back..." He paused momentarily, taking in a deep breath full of air and opening his grey slit eyes. "If you have time, will you come visit here again? It would be nice to talk with you again normally...Even if you don't remember me."

Sans' everlasting grin softened as chuckles rode across a sorrowful tune through Grillby's ears. His laughs crackled a warm hum.

"Heh...that sounds nice. Maybe it would be nice to relax for once and have a drink. I'll even let you tell me all about this so called 'friend'. Although, you are probably mistaking me for him. Most skeletons look the same. Don't you agree?"

Sans turned around, his head raising slowly, the flowers on his cheeks slightly speckled with dew from the warmth in the room. Small bone like dimples formed at the corners of his cheeks.

"Oh, by the way... I've never really been good at paying people back so you might have to put the bill on my tab. When I do see you again, I'll make sure to pay for that mustard i just drank."

The skeleton's words ended their course. His free hand grabbed at the brass knob, opening the door and being greeted with the roughness of the wind and snow. Frisk's eyes were glued on the fire monster, feeling a deep sadness weighing down their soul, making their chest heavy with remorse. But, despite wanting to stay with the bartender and give him hope, they followed behind the skeleton like a shadow as the door closed behind them, leaving Grillby alone within the tavern.

The fire man let out a lamenting sigh, fingers raking through his fire like hair. His color grew dim, the purple shades disappearing into a cold desolate color of grey. "That's what you said last time too..."


	4. The Keepers Of Memories

The two entered the glowing area of Waterfall. The place that remembered all, the place of memories. The walls echoed with soft whispers. The voices of strangers passed on from flower to flower through the air. The glowing essence of them was a calming and tranquil color of blue. Its hue gave off a light within the dark area, in a beautiful combination with the speckled rocky ceiling, a symphony of colors. These glowing flowers resonated within the cave. their radiance shimmering like stars in the night sky. The sound of water could be heard in the distance. The melodic tune of dripping dew falling onto the mossy ground, creating reflective mirrors below their feet. The luminous waterfalls around them clashed softly against the rocky walls, sea foam frothing at the surface of the lake.

Sans and Frisk held each others hand, feeling closer together than ever before. As if their souls had intertwined together and became one. He was relieved, Frisk's memories were slowly coming back to them. But each time they did, a flower grew threw their fragile skin, breaking its surface as it sprout. He tried to disoblige their situation. But, Sans couldn't stop thinking about those important memories Grillby claimed he had forgotten and how his one wish seemed to be breaking apart. How could they have slipped that easily away from him? Those precious memories that he held so dear to his heart. Those memories were the strength that gave him determination. And Frisk was in full bloom. Would the same fate happen to them again? The fate he desperately tried to prevent? Was he unable to change the course of this world? Would death's cold grip wring around Frisk's neck once more?

"Isnt it beautiful?" Sans' voice rang and bounced off the walls like a pebble skipping through a lake. He picked and scratched at the flowers planted close to his eye. The growth of these parasitic buds irritated and tingled at his bones surface.

Frisk made a simplistic nod. They seemed to be at ease, not bothered by the flowers. The buds planted on their countenance portrayed no signs of Frisk being in any pain. Their eyes danced to and from each echo flower that passed them. The petals swayed back and forth on the human's cheeks like a ballerina pirouetting on a wooden stage. The lights from the ceiling shone down on Frisk, their dark brown hair shimmering like gold, making them look like an angel in disguise. Even if it was for a moment, they felt at peace, full of life. A light color of pink dusted over and tinted their cheeks. The human looked more alive than ever before.

Although, the situation was quite different for Sans. the roots sunken into his head were slowly cracking away at his skull, dusty pieces of bone chipping around the blooming areas.

Each moment of Frisk's growing journey opened them up to the truth, but so did the flowers. they didn't seem to care, but greatly bothered and worried of Sans' state. His blank expression back at the tavern struck them with fear. His eyes, as they flickered white, the blank expression he bestowed. The way he spoke was so different, so distant, as if he became a different person. The man in fire seemed to be very close with him, knowing the skeletons favorite drink before asking him. Yet Sans showed no signs of knowing this man.

The human looked down, feeling the moisture of a puddle underneath their brown boots. They halted and their hand slipped away from the skeletons. The ripples within the reflective pool spread outwards. A ghastly expression of what they witnessed spread over their skin, hairs rising above the flesh that covered their bones. Whether it was a hallucination or not, the fear couldn't seem to escape them. There, down within the broad puddle of water, frisk couldn't been seen. They had no reflection.

The skeleton slowly spun around, bewildered by Frisk suddenly stopping. Sans came over, noticing their dazed state.

"Sweetheart? You alright?" His voice was soft and kind.

"S-Sans..." Their finger dropped downward to the water on the rocky ground, legs shaking and knees tapping against one another.

The monster peered down, confused by Frisk's actions. "And what about it?"

A clump of saliva formed within the back of their throat, cold sweat pin pricking at their forehead."I'm...My reflection...It's not...there. I can't see myself."

His sockets and red beaded pupils narrowed into a slanted arch, confused even more. The crystal clear water appeared normal to him. Frisk's reflection was there, and nothing seemed strange about the puddle. "Sweetheart you are imagining things. You are right there. See?" Placing a hand on their shoulder, he tried to calm their quivering heart, a heartwarming smile forming across his lips. "Just like you are here with me right now."

No matter how hard Frisk looked, all they could see was Sans within the water's circle, rubbing the shoulder of someone who wasn't there. There was no way he would believe them and they went along with his notion. Maybe Frisk's mind was playing tricks on them, but since they had left the tavern, something had been pulling at their heart, tugging at invisible threads, speaking silent words they tried to grasp. The uneasy feeling of a migraine formed into their brain each time they tried to remember something that was never there.

"I'm sorry Sans. I was just trying to make a little joke. I guess I'm not the greatest at them." Creating a terrible excuse, a forced giggle left from their fake smile.

Raspy chuckles flooded from Sans' grin as a bony eyebrow raised higher than the other. "Don't worry Frisk. Your laughs are silly enough to tickle my funny bone."

Frisk puffed up their cheeks in embarrassment, arms crossing over their chest. Swinging a leg back, the silent puddle was disrupted by the sound of a kick, splashing small droplets of water across the air.

Sans shielded his arms before his face, protecting himself from the liquid. The quietude of the cave was broken as the pair burst into small clusters of laughter. Frisk ran past Sans in a teasing manner, spinning once around once before coming to a halt. They spotted a cluster of echo flowers near the shimmering blue lake coated in moss. Distracted by its beauty, the human skipped over to the spot, and Sans let out a smile across his face. They seemed to be happy, but what would Sans tell them once they regained, if they regained the rest of their memory? That the flowers on them were a sign of death?

He rested his hands within his pockets as he watched the curious human kneeling by the echo flowers, keen-fully listening to their repetitive voices.

Sans was just about to move close to join them, but the sound of a rustling movement crawled near him. In an instant, his eye flickered the color of red flames. Turning around, the skeleton awaited for the stranger to reveal itself. It could have been anyone. Undyne, his brother papyrus. Whoever it was, they were most likely looking for Frisk, to capture their soul.

From behind an echo flower, a similar small figure came into view. His yellow petals around him quivering as he stood timidly before Sans. Flowey, the forgotten prince of the underground nervously stared up at Sans.

"Flowey?...Why are you here?" The cautious skeleton became more relaxed, the blood colored flames in his eye dulled out. Flowey had protected Frisk many times in the past, resulting in Sans' trust.

"I saw you...back in the ruins..." The flower stuttered, his voice was strained and higher than usual. "How...How did you do it Sans? Monsters aren't capable of determination, not to mention resets."

"You...You saw me back there? You really disappeared on us after Frisk died.." Sans' face was covered in disappointment. Moments after Frisk's death, the talking flower just seemed to have faded into thin air.

"I know...I was a coward. I couldn't bear looking at them in that state, so I ran away. I'm sorry for not being there Sans...For not being there when Frisk needed me the most." Flowey's petals swayed as he shook his head, teeth biting into his lower lip try to hold back tears. "But my stupid decisions aren't important right now. Sans, this reset you've done, it's unnatural. It breaks the laws of this world. I cant even comprehend how you were able to do it."

"I know Flowey...But after I took Frisk's soul into my hands...Light suddenly appeared all around me from this necklace. Then...I saw the reset button..." He placed the golden star pendant into his hand and dangled it by his fingers.

Flowey leaned closer, examining the shape and squinting his small black eyes. "Sans...Is that...A small crack in the center of it?"

The skeleton's expression filed with confusion as he flipped the item's surface towards his view, bending his head down near it. A bony fingers brushed against its golden surface.

"That's strange...That crack wasn't there before..." He ran a finger across it, feeling the tiny dent and open crevice engraved in it. "Maybe it got hit accidentally while I was walking."

"Sans..." flowey's long leafy arm slapped across his own forehead, shaking his petals right and left. " Forget about you precious jewelry right now. There is something you should know about this reset you've created. I've been watching you two for quite some time and now its become clear to me." The flower cleared his throat, preparing for the words he was about to reveal. "Your'e experiencing the same course that frisks body is taking. Sans this reset isn't right. its all wrong. Luckily no one else here is growing flowers. But at this rate, its only a matter of time before both you and Frisk..."

"That will never happen..." The monster grazed his head over his shoulder, making sure Frisk wasn't hearing this conversation. The last thing he would want is for them to know the truth of these yellow flowers."Look at Frisk, they are perfectly fine. They aren't weak anymore like the last reset. I don't think these flowers will harm them anymore. And Frisk only remembers the good memories. I don't want to taint them with all the battles they had to face before."

"So does that mean...They remember me?" A small glimmer of light brightened up Flowey's gloomy complexion.

"Sorry buddy but...Ever since I found Frisk back at the ruins, they haven't mentioned your name..." His voice softened into a melancholy hum, trying to soften the blow of his words.

"It's alright...I'm used to being forgotten about anyway..." Flowey 's voice staggered for a moment before letting out a breath of air, a dark shadow looming over his eyes. "You really can be a bonehead sometimes. Your incompetence is what will be the end of Frisk and yourself. If you don't do something about this path you're heading towards, both of you could wind up dead in the end."

"But Flowey, we haven't even entered a single battle. Frisk hasn't been wounded yet thanks to me watching out for them unlike yourself." Sans shook his head, frustrated and irritated by Flowey's theory. "Frisk feels perfectly fine, just as lively as when they first arrived. Maybe these flowers are just something we can't avoid? And I don't care how many flowers will grow on me. If they are fine, then I don't mind walking around as a living garden."

"Fine suit yourself...But, don't blame me if you wander down the wrong path." The flower turned around, preparing to depart from the skeleton. Flowey's head sunk down close to the ground, his chest made of stem tightening with pain.

"Wait Flowey...Don't you want to say hi to Frisk? Maybe if you show yourself, they will remember you?" Sans felt a slight amount of guilt for all the times he had been rude to the Flower. Despite Flowey's harsh words and fights he had with Sans, in the end, he was just a lonely flower.

"I don't want to see Frisk again if I know it'll just be the same like last time..." The flower turned his head one last time, a sorrowful smile below his dewy eyes. "I'm sick of finally being able to make friends... Just so I can see them die over and over..." A bitter river of tears flooded from his eyes, mouth quivering as he spoke. "I rather be happy not knowing what will happen this time."

The ground crumbled beneath Flowey as he sank into the floor, disappearing from Sans view. Heavy dense feelings of sadness could be felt in the skeletons rib cage. For once, he actually felt bad for the flower. He knew that Flowey cared for Frisk. But he never thought this flower held in so much sadness all by himself.

Soft foot steps drew closer and closer as Frisk ran up to Sans and pulled on his red sleeve. Their fingers curled up and pointed towards the patch of glowing blue flowers close by the calm water, their expression covered by a black shadow hovering over their eyes.

"Come." Their voice sounded weak, brittle and smaller than usual, head bent down, looking at their boots caked with dry dirt.

"You have something to show me?" Flowey's warning drowned out from his mind and Sans followed them towards the river bend.

They both crouched down as Frisk softly petted the leaves of the echoing flower, head bowed down, smelling the clean air the flower produced.

"I heard these flowers talking..." They looked at Sans as the flower began to whisper softly. "They were laughing."

"Oh is that so? It listens to passing conversations when monsters come through and repeat them." He smiled down at the flora, its glowing mint colored aura tinting his cheeks and forehead. "In a way, they are the keepers of past memories. Guess the last people that spoke through here were pretty happy."

"It told me something..." The human grew quieter, one hand on their raised knee and poked at the flower's center. The echo flower rang softly as long forgotten whispers crept out from their tomb.

"Am i too heavy?"

"You're as light as a feather sweetheart."

"Hey Sans?...Can I ask you something?"

"Of course you can sweetheart."

"When...When I die...Take my soul, and free everyone. That's my final wish."

"...Hey, stop talking like that. As long as I'm alive, you aren't going anywhere."

"Sans..."

"...What is it now?"

"You promise we will be together forever?"

"Of course we will. What kind of man would I be if I didn't?"

The flower giggled as the voices began to fade away slowly.

"Thank you for loving me. For caring for me. For giving me Hope."


	5. The Promise

Sans looked up from the flower, the painful conversation that had passed through. Tears stung when they trickled down his cheeks, and pain squeezed at his chest tightly. The flowers, all the flowers here were echos of the last reset, the memories Frisk had, the memories they lost. Like a chorus of singers, one flower after the other recited their memories, the words they both spoke, the happy times they both shared.

Frisk was clinging at their hair. Their eyes widened and glossed with tears, lip quivering and flesh feeling as cold as ice. Once the first tear broke free, the rest was followed by an unstoppable stream. Their hands pressed into the ground, clumps of dirt elevating around their fingers. They turned to confront the monster, body shaking, breath short, and their nose dusted a light red. The bitter taste of saliva thickened within the back of their throat. While Sans was previously occupied with Flowey, Frisk had heard the flowers. The truth was revealed to them. The human was awakening from the deep slumber of forgotten memories, their skin crawling with newly sprouted yellow buds from each memory regained.

"Why...Why do these flowers sound like our voices?" As they spoke through tears, more and more buds bloomed, deepening their growth into Frisks skin, pulling through to the surface for a breath of air. Frisk wanted to hug the skeleton monster, but clung onto his brown sweater around their body instead, crinkling the fabric into their palms, hiding their complexion in their knees.

"Your face..." He grasped onto Frisk's chin and lifted their face upward. As suspected, more and more flowers came into bloom, covering the right side of their face entirely. Horror had struck him. The one ending he wanted with them couldn't come true. The memories he held so dear were bringing back the past. They were bringing back the flowers.

"Back at the tavern...I had something to tell you...It was bugging me for quite some time. I thought I was just hallucinating so I shrugged it off. Looking now, these flowers as proof... Every direction I looked, it was all perfect, everything felt normal. But..." They shook their head, burying their forehead once more into the empty space between their knees.

"Sweetheart what's wrong?" He moved over, sitting himself close by the human, the soft murmur of cries muffled under their breath, their back shaking with a soft vibration as he placed a hand around their back. Although he was trying his best to comfort his companion, terror kept eating away at him, countless questions blooming from within him.

"Sans. Everything seems to be coming back to me. The memories of someone giving me their jacket in the cold...The smell of dried mustard, the sound of snow crunching under my feet. Your name keeps echoing in my mind...Everything around me seems right..Perfect. Except for one thing. That exception is me." The human moved their head up from where it was buried and stared into the skeletons eyes, their lips tasting the bitter fragrance of the yellow flowers as their tears streamed down their skin, bringing salty dew to the flowers. "Sans...Am I supposed to not be in this world? Am I supposed...to be dead?"

Sans shrank back in fear as he heard Frisk's voice. They were able to remove the curtain of this secretive timeline, unveiling the bitter truth of their past life. The death they once tasted in their lungs, the flowers that turned their body into petals. All around them, the glowing echo flowers arched their stems upwards, towards the rocky ceiling, continue to echo the voices they heard.

"Am I supposed to be dead?"

A chain reaction broke out as one flower repeated after the other, mimicking in a higher pitch than the original voice.

From within his head, he heard the crackling sound of black and white static, the marrow of his bones in his fingers making the moan of warped wood. The roots hidden underneath the surface of his white chalky bone began to sprout forward, clawing their way out from the bends in his fingers, coiling around to his wrists. Their tightly sealed petals hugging at the centers core began reaching outward like a small child's hand trying to grasp for their mothers love. Sans let out a wheezing cough as he let go of frisk, bony fingers slinging around his neck. The sensation of being strangled swarmed and pierced around his neck. Dry forced breaths escaped his mouth as he struggled to swallow. He scratched at his neck bone crawling with irritation. He pulled down the red cloth snugly wrapped around his neck. Flowers clung all around him, roots sprouting from inside his bones, bursting and breaking out to the surface. From within his sleeves, he could feel the vines tugging at him, tearing away at his bone and marrow.

The human scrambled to the skeleton as he sank to the ground, eyes flashing a continuous white. There were flowers growing on his face. More and more. It was unending, as if consuming him. Sweat formed onto his forehead and drifted downward, stinging his eyes with their bitter taste. Frisk took his head into their arms, cradling him as their heart could be heard ringing a painfully sad memory through him. After some time, the pain subsided.

"Why are flowers continuing to on you too? Has this happened before in our past life? Because I never remembered this happening..."

"Your'e right...This doesn't make any sense..." Sans' soul was trembling with pain, fear, and anxiety. " This timeline as done something really wrong to me..."

"H-hey...We can figure this out together. We made a promise remember? To stay together forever just as the flowers had said?"

A blank expression coated itself across his face."Flower? What flower?...Promise? I...I feel like I know what you are speaking of...But I don't remember this so called 'promise'. "

"Sans come on...Please. The echo flowers we just heard a moment ago!"

"I'm sorry but..." Rubbing his hand over his forehead, Sans tried to remember what Frisk was explaining about, but no memory came into view. " I really have no idea what you are talking about sweetheart. If I had a promise to keep, there is no way I would ever forget."

"You...Really don't remember?" They looked into his eyes, frightened. There was no mistake. His words were true. How could he have forgotten such a precious promise? They were able to remember, so why couldn't Sans? It only happened a moment ago!

With his hand in theirs, Frisk carefully pulled him close to the flower that spoke. Frisk caressed the plant's petals with a shaky finger, making it speak once more. The same dialogue came pouring through, ringing through both their ears, the voices of what was once spoken in the past.

"That's...us speaking?" His arms clenched onto his skull, teeth clanking roughly against one another. The memory he had lost returned into his hazy view, but only for a split second. The voices of their conversation tried to push their way through, but something was preventing it. Blocking the path. The pain subsided once again, mind wiped clear of the talking echo flower.

"Sorry sweetheart, but I cant seem to remember..."

Fisk was shocked, mortified, painted with fear. Sans somehow was loosing his memory. They noticed these memory loses of his ever since they entered Grillby's. At first they ignored it, but bits and pieces were being broken apart from him. As time went on, he seemed to be loosing sight of what had happened not so long ago.

A small object caught frisks eyes as they looked down at the floor besides Sans. A small echo flower was in bloom, no longer than an inch. That's when it occurred to them. They plucked the flower and whispered softly into its petals, bringing it closely to their tender lips. They looked back at Sans and took his hand into theirs, weaving the flower around his forth finger on his right hand.

"What's this? Sorry sweetheart, but I'm not one for wearing rings." The skeleton let out a chuckle filled with pain.

"Its for you. So if you ever forget...You'll remember..."

"Remember?" He stared down at the glower ring, its color glowing a dim turquoise hue. "But how will this make me remember?"

His voice was cut off by the sound of loud stomps close by, followed by a grumbling voice. Sans' eyes widened. The angered tone, the sound of cherry colored boots shifting against the floor.

"Oh no..." Sans forced himself to rise, standing to his feet despite his weakened state.

The human looked up, confused by Sans' fearful expression. "Sans? What's wrong?"

The shouting from the darkness was exactly whom the monster was cowering from. The figure came forward from the dried blue grass. Sans stepped in front of the human, guarding them as his brother, Papyrus, leaped down from a cliff near them. He had found them.


	6. The Cracking Necklace

The tall brother was in his usual royal guard uniform, just as Sans last saw him. Stunning red plated armor outstretched father than his shoulder. A black ripped shirt concealed his rib cage along with a vibrant crimson scarf that wrapped around his neck.

"Sans...I should have known..." The tall skeleton puffed out his chest as he spoke in a boastful manner. "I've heard from other monsters roaming outside of your favorite rundown restaurant. They claimed that you, my brother, were with a human!" One hand remained on his hip locked to the side."Here I was hoping you would capture them by yourself. But instead you're making amends with them!"

"No P-Papyrus you don't understand!" His voice was cut short by the skeleton towering over them with a horrific booming voice.

"And what are all these flowers on your face?!" Papyrus' arm swung forward, clawed gloves grabbing onto one of the buds and pulling it. Sans let out a painful gasp and by instinct, pushed his brothers hand away. It only took him moments later to realize he had crossed the line. He rubbed his cheek, still stinging from the pull, eyes squinting as he looked up at his brother. Sans was mortified. The one thing he feared of was making his brother upset. If it was possible, Papyrus' head would be rising with steam like an overflowing kettle about to burst.

Elevating his hand upward, he struck down to slap his brother but hit something else instead. Frisk had stepped forward taking the blow, head snapping to the side as the sharp tingling sensation crawled up and down their face. With the sound of a whip crackling in the air, the slap bounced off the walls of the cave with a loud bang, slowly getting quieter and quieter until the ripples in the air subsided. small speckles of smeared blood covered Frisk's lower busted lip.

"Frisk!" Wrapping two arms around the human, his eyes turned into a deathly stare, mouth arching up on one side creating an cannibalistic snarl. His left eye dimmed down and sparked a bright red, flames of a dark blood red whipping and slashing at the air.

"Sans...Who is he?" It seemed that not all Frisk's memories were regathered. Sans' brother was a stranger in their eyes. Papyrus' appearance gave no bridge of remembrance to all the deaths this skeleton did to them.

"That there...Is my brother..." The fire continued to passionately burn in his eye, a deathly stare at his brother. Papyrus came forward, raising a hand to his chest, proud and arrogant.

"Yes it is I, the great and terrible Papyrus! And as Sans has spoke we are brothers...And as my brother, I demand that you capture this human and take their soul away to king Asgore!" He raised his hand up into the air, as if grasping something as his fingers gathered to the center of his palm.

"No Papyrus..."The shorter skeleton remained in front of Frisk, guarding them protectively, both hands stretched to the sides. " Frisk isn't going anywhere with you. They are staying here with me..."

"It is nothing but a useless human, a useless object within my path! The only use they have is their soul...And I need it!" The tall skeleton snarled, clearing his voice as the clawed glove on his hand swept at the air, a mist of red appearing all around, and bones materializing into the air in a loud whisper.

A shadow hazed over Sans' eyes, head lowering to the ground, hands falling to his sides and bony fingers digging into his palms. "Frisk isn't a useless object. Frisk is what gave me hope...Determination to start over...To risk my soul, my entire existence just to see them again...To save them..."

Their skin turned cold, feeling the exposition of tears forming from the corner of their eyes. To start again? What did Sans mean? To risk his soul?

"Fine then..." Papyrus' eye glowed a dark orange as the sharp ends of the materialized bones pointed towards the human standing in front of Sans. "If you wont give them to me...I'll just take them myself by force!"

Spiraling through the air, shooting forward like the a strike of lightening during a storm, a ray of red mist scattered behind the bone. It broke the airs current, flying towards Frisk, faster than the speed of a silver bullet.

It must have been by instinct, his body just seemed to move on its own. Sans' eyes widened, a warm touch leaking from out his red faded shirt, the moisture coloring it a darker crimson color. His legs were stone cold like ice picks in the ground. A quivering hand crossed over below the object embedded deep into the center of his rib cage. His black sockets wandered downward, fingers weakly forming around the red bone's jagged end that stuck out from him. His knees lost all feeling, his eyes hazing, his mind disappearing. The bone dissipated not long after striking Sans, and he collapsed to the floor. Silence was the only noise heard. He had pushed Frisk out of the way, taking the blow instead.

Frisk's hair lay across the floor, swirled into a spiral of brown, feeling the coldness of the jagged floor scrape against their cheek. They rose up from the fall, cut palms pressed against the floors surface, knees clawed at by the rocks on the ground. The strands of hair whipped around, slicing at the air as they turned their head, witnessing the calamity. Sans' twisted his head down while his hands sank to his sides weakly. A dim light appeared from his chest, the shape of a light grey heart, engraved with cracks. He looked down at the tips of his hands as they began to fade away and turn to dust, inching their way up and destroying his body. Nothing was left of him except for the broken soul that snapped into two.

All around him was darkness. It grew darker, and darker. He couldn't see two inches in front of him. Sans felt like nothing, he was nothing, he became nothing. A small glow came into view just below his neck. The golden shine of his star shaped necklace. It floated upward, dotted lights floating up into the air. Reaching his fingers outward, he took the object into his grasp, feeling the necklace brimming with warmth. It hummed at him, making a soft mellow conversation.

"Heh...I guess I kind of died back there. Guess it's the end for me..." He spoke to himself.

It doesn't need to be the end, if you wish it.

An echoing voice rang through the darkness like swaying bells, a voice similar to his, just softer in tone.

"I could have sworn i heard a voice...Now my mind is playing tricks on me..." Examining his surroundings, the voice continued to play in the still wind, his eyes wandering side to side looking for the one that spoke. But nobody came.

You can reset again, if you would like. You still have the power to rewrite this world.

The call was close to him. It took him no longer than a moment to realize that the voice, was in fact, speaking its sweet melody through his necklace.

"Who...who are you? What do you want from me?" He grabbed at the necklace, bringing it closer to his vision.

It is a bit hard to explain what I am. I am something you can't see , but something you can feel deep within your soul, a burning desire. I am you, and you are me. I am the Determination you were never supposed to receive.

"Determination?..."

Yes that is correct. Ever since you took in the humans soul, something awakened inside of you, potential that monsters would never be able to grasp. Your love was so strong for this human, to bring them back. It warped the very fabrications of this world, contorting it by your rules. A monster that was unable to gain Determination gained so much more. You gained Hope.

Sans' eyes brimmed to the top with bafflement, clutching onto the glimmering object tighter in hand, fingers curled securely around its surface. "You told me that I can reset...Is this true?"

Yes, but a cost must be payed to rewind time. Look down at the pendant. What do you see?

Bringing the charm close to his eyes he perceived a small crack breaking at its surface in the center, the one Flowey had been questioning about. Other than that, nothing about the object seemed abnormal. "All I see is a crack, nothing else."

Yes that crack, the result of the reset you've done. This pendant is linked to your soul. It is your reset button. But there are consequences from turning back time. The human would grow flowers from each reset, slowly growing weaker. As for you, this necklace is now a part of you, the timer that tells you when your life is up. Each reset making you weaker than the first.

"But that means I can go back? I'll be able to see Frisk again?" A spark of light grew in his soul, ignoring the consequences resets would do to him.

Do not get your hopes up. You have a very small amount of HP, resulting in your soul being very delicate. You will be only able to make one more reset. Doing anymore could shatter your soul.

"I don't care if my soul shatters...Please, just tell me how to reset. I want, I need to see them again." His voice cracked weakly as he pleaded to this animate object.

Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you. Simply give some of your and Determination to the necklace just like before your first reset. Offer a little of your hope into this pendant, then time will turn back for you. Just remember, I am your Determination. Once your determination is gone, so will your body.

Sans squeezed onto the necklace, accepting the warning. Bringing it close to his chest, his soul ached softly and synchronized with the pulses of light the gem gave off. It began growing warmer and warmer within his fingers, the smell of burning copper seeping from the small crack. The darkness unfolded around him, crumpling like a piece of paper into the gem, slowing being surrounded by light. Shutting his eyes tightly, he murmured softly as he bent down onto his knees. "Please...Let me see them again, I beg of you."


	7. Brother

The smell of damp swamp flowers crawled into his navel cavity, the crisp air of his surroundings bringing a chill to his bones. The sound of familiar voices came into view as his two skeletal hands formed into limp fists, phalanges curled and rubbed his eyes. The feeling of something small was tugging at his side, clinging onto his red faded shirt. Sans' head turned to the side, red pinpricks forming into his sockets a as he opened his eyes. Frisk was timidly hiding behind his back, shooting a shaky finger forward and pointing to something before them both. His eyes grazed horizontally, viewing the tall figure before them. Both hands were on this skeletons waist, eyes giving off a deathly stare.

"It is nothing but a useless human, a useless object within my path! The only use they have is their soul...And I need it!" Papyrus repeated his words as spoken from the last reset, unaware of this rewritten world.

Although, Frisk was in a different situation. Buds of yellow began to grow from out the knuckles of their hand, speckles of flowers appearing from out their skin on their cheek and neck, twisting their way to the surface. Their partially hazed mind growing clearer and clearer, removing the rubble of blank spaces and replacing them with memories, as if grabbing and stealing them from someone else. But not only did their memories of Papyrus come back, every monster they encountered materialized into their mind. Every fight they had in the past had come back.

"Sans I remember! T-That's your brother Papyrus..I remember him now and the battles I've had with him!" Like viewing a film, the small human could recapture all the deaths the brother had done to them. Frisk was filled with terror.

The conversation seemed so familiar, as if it had only happened a few seconds ago. Sans furrowed his bone like eyebrows together, a tooth biting at his lower lip. He scanned the enemy before him up and down, swearing that he seemed familiar, someone he once used to know.

But something wasn't right about what Frisk regained. The recollections that the human perceived, they felt as if none were theirs. Every single vision their eyes perceived weren't from their sight. They were viewed by another perspective, a different set of eyes. A handful of these memories didn't even include themselves. Most were filled with warming images of Papyrus as a child, moments of Grillby back at the tavern, a female goat laughing with a kind smile, and monsters that Frisk never met. Others were heartrending. Arguments, quarrels, and fights flooded and enveloped Frisk's mind. A deep voice broke the silence in these dreams, a skeletal hand reaching out from their perspective and reaching out towards a someone in the snow. The trembling human within these memories turned around, dark hair blowing through the wind, flowers covering their complexion. These memories Frisk saw weren't theirs...They were from someone else... They were from Sans. Frisk was the one that had been taking his memories.

"What have I done..." Frisk felt the cold touch of horror crawl up their back, fingers clawed roughly through their hair like rakes, scraping at their skull, pulling away at their hair. They looked over at weak skeleton who seemed almost in a daydreaming state. His eyes were blank and wide, mouth unhinged, hands hanging loosely by his sides. Frisk's hands were trembling, cold bitter sweat and tears fell from their face as they realized what they have done to Sans. The flowers didn't represent Frisks demise. The flora represented the memories they stole from him.

"Who...are you, and what do you want with Frisk?" Protectively standing before Frisk, each step he took forward felt heavy, as if his legs were giving out, being dragged down into the earth. He clutched onto his chest, one eye squinting closed. His necklace hanging close to his soul showed signs of more cracks reaching their way out from the center.

"Sans stop with your stupid jokes and hand over the human!" Papyrus shook with anger, voice screeching with frustration.

Sans' eye glowed a bright red, chin tilting upward, hand raising forward, and palm shooting out towards his brother. Not a trace of mercy could be seen in Sans' eyes. A red essence of magic seeped out from his fingers, wrapping around himself, the wind growing stronger around him.

"I've never seen you in my entire life...I know nothing about you except for one thing...And it's that you want Frisk. Sorry if I seem a bit thick skinned, but this human is going nowhere with you." Blood colored bones surrounded Sans as he shot them forward. Some clashed into the floor while others skimmed right past Papyrus. He feel to his knees, his breaths heaving with pain. The skeleton felt as if he would be torn apart at any moment. His body was growing weaker, even breathing normally hurt every inch of his soul.

"Sans stop! That's your brother!" Frisk ran outward between the skeletons while the magic flew in the air, voice strained as they shouted, creating a shield with their arms stretched out to the sides. The final wave of bones that Sans sent forward skimmed across Frisk's body. They slashed at their cheek, scraped their thighs, and ripped away the fabric on their left arm, leaving a bloody gash mark in its path.

"Frisk!" The skeleton's hateful fire within his eye burned out, mortified of what he had done to Frisk. He ceased his attack, eyes wide viewing that Frisk was protecting an enemy.

They shook their head, bangs clashing against their forehead, swaying like waves of an ocean. Frisk ignored the pain that filled every ounce of their being. Tears stinging their slit cheeks dripping with blood. "Don't you recognize him?! Please you need to remember! You don't need to fight him! You two are brothers! You are family!"

"Brother? I have a brother?" He locked eyes with Papyrus, images and memories feeling like they were being grabbed away by hands and taken away from him. The days they spent together, the fights they have had, the small handful of joyful days they shared, slowly shattering and disappearing into the mist. "Sorry. If I had family, I would remember. I'm not that thick headed..."

Sans fell from where he stood, feet loosing their balance. Small vines of green kept growing around him. Since this reset, the flowers never ceased to stop, they were growing at a quicker rate and his head pulsed with pain once more, eyes flashing a vibrant white. One knee collapsed to the floor as he felt something deep within his throat spill out. Dark brown liquid with the smell of dead flowers trickled out the corners of his mouth. His head swung down as he choked on his breath, flowers pin pricking at his lips and growing from out his eyes. His fingers reached up and pulled down at his sockets. Loud cries of pain collided against the walls of the cave.

The human slid towards the fallen skeleton, sweeping their arms around the back of his neck, cradling his head like a baby. He looked up at them, dark liquid dripping from his teeth and brushed one hand at their cheek. His vision was growing blurry with each passing second. Small drops of blood fell onto him from Frisk's cheeks, and their bloody gashed arm tainted the color of San's shirt and bones a dark red.

"Please...Papyrus, stop fighting with your brother..." The human's eyebrows arched low, their teeth grinding against one another. With shoulders shaking weakly, they turned their head towards Papyrus, cheeks plastered with tears on their bloody complexion.

Sans' vision was growing blurry. The vibrant colors around him grew duller. Two shadows surrounded his vision. One was quite close to him and seemed to be weeping. The other was much taller and came closer towards him. His ears rang a soft yet painful noise. He was confused, tired, and loosing Hope, loosing too much energy.The internal gauge in him that kept him alive was growing smaller and smaller. The familiar smell of nothingness swallowed him whole, and everything disappeared around him.


	8. I'm Coming...Sweetheart

Sans strained to open his eyes. The stinging color of yellow light floated above his chest as he remained motionless on his back. The cold unwelcome feeling of death crawled around his body, gnawing at his brittle bones.

I guess your HP really couldn't hold up that long. I thought you could reset one last time, but I suppose I was wrong.

The same familiar voice appeared once more from its hiding place. The necklace hovered above his chest, spinning slowly like a ballerina dancing in a music box. Bits and pieces of the gem were crumbling away at the center, the light flickering a duller color than before.

"It's you...again..." It hurt to speak, and Sans coughed on his dry words. His voice could barely be heard.

Guess this is it. You tried your hardest and was able to see them again. But alas, your soul became too weak to accept and live through the newest reset. I congratulate you on being able to get this far.

Sans listened to the voice's tune humming through the dark nothingness. He felt like his mind was drifting farther and farther away from his body.

"N-No...I don't want it to end...I couldn't even say goodbye..." Forcing himself to sit up, he continued to stare at the floating necklace around his neck. The skeleton's voice begging for another chance at life.

It is impossible. Your Hope and Determination is gone Sans. You didn't really think you could go on like this forever did you? Do you have any idea how bad your body's condition is?

From under his shirt, a dull grey light came floating out of his rib cage. A heart shaped soul revealed itself before him. It was covered in cracks and chips, crumbling slowly at its sides.

"My soul... It's disappearing.." A single tear dropped from down his cheek as he fell onto his back once more, feeling his body sink into the darkness. His hope was gone.

Oh don't be like that Sans. Aren't you happy? You were able to protect them like you wanted, despite loosing your memories to them.

"Wait...What memories?" His eyes filled with confusion as he listened to the talking object.

You really can be clueless sometimes. Haven't you felt like your'e forgetting bits and pieces of your life? As if everyone around you is someone you used to know? Yet someone you have never met?

The glowing necklace was right. The fire man back at the tavern that called San's his friend, the promise that Frisk claimed he made, the brother that he never had. These were memories that everyone around him knew, yet he couldn't remember them himself.

"Then tell me. Just how exactly am I loosing these memories?" Sans questioned the gem, full of doubt about its theory.

This new reset you have made, this world you have recreated, it's different from the rest. But, I'm sure you knew that already. All this time...You thought Frisk was gaining back their memories didn't you?

"What...are you implying?"

Oh Sans. They never regained their memories. Those memories of their past are gone forever. Instead, somehow, they gained something else. All the times in your life that you held dear. All the sad and cherished memories...They were not Frisks...But yours.

"These flowers..."It all made sense to him now. His body shook with fear, cold sweat dampened his bones. Sans wasn't forgetting his memories, they were being taken from him. The skeleton looked down at his hands swarming with yellow blossoming buds. "These flowers are what made them remember...These flowers...are making me forget..."

The voice calling from the pendant spoke with applause.

That's right Sans. Each memory they take, a flower blooms on both of you. These yellow flowers are the sign of rebirth for that human, and the bringer of death for you. I suppose it is the consequence you have to face from making a new world. Monsters aren't supposed to remember resets, but you did. You thought you could fight fate. But in reality, it was slowly carving away at you. Soon, you will be nothing but a shadow of what you once were.

He couldn't believe the words they spoke. A hand clutched at the glowing pendant, squeezing it with frustration, bitter tears falling onto its surface. All the hard work he had done to bring Frisk back, what was the point? If he wouldn't be able to remember it? Sans wanted to end it all, to throw a bone at his soul and end his existence forever.

As Sans was squeezing at the gem with every amount of force he had, a soft voice cooed beside him. A soothing tone filled with kindness and mercy. He peered down, tears falling down and disappearing onto the black misty floor. The baby echo flower that Frisk had tied around their finger shone softly in the darkness, colliding with the pendant's yellow aura.

"Heh...At least I remember them making this for me..." A sorrowful smile leaped across his bones as his tight grip released its hold from the pendant, letting it dangle over his chest. Raising his right hand, he viewed the precious flower. It hummed and sang a soft melodic tune. He caressed its dainty petals, blue pollen staining the tip of his finger.

"Sans...Please remember the promise we made together that day. That we will be together forever... And even if you can't remember...Just stay by my side...Okay?"

His eyes were damp, welled with tears as his lips formed a faint smile. The words that Frisk spoke through the flower felt as if they were binding his soul back together, making his body tougher, stronger. Even if it were for a moment, Determination sparked like a match into Sans' soul. He ignored the pain, ignored the flowers that were consuming and growing off his memories. He forced himself up from the floor.

The glowing pendant spoke once more.

What are you doing?

The skeleton chuckled lightly to himself as he closed his eyes, his sleeve wiping the tears away from his eyes. "I'm going to keep that promise. I'm going to stay by Frisk's side."

Stop wishing for the impossible. Look at your soul. You're going to break at any second. This body of yours wont last.

"Welp...Then I guess I'm just going to do the impossible again. I've done it before, what could possibly stop me now?" He grasped at the necklace, bringing it up to his eye level.

But wouldn't you be happier to die with what little memories you have left? If you reset again, you will turn to dust again Sans, and the Flowers on Frisk will take the remaining amount of your memories. Your broken soul will forever live in turmoil not knowing a single part of your existence. You will become nothing, as if you were never born.

Sans didn't seem the slightest bit faltered by the warning. He placed a kiss on the echo flower, smiling into the dark nothingness before him. He took his broken soul into his hand, drawing it back into his chest. It was slightly warm and thumped softly.

"I will use this small amount of determination I have left to carve a new world. Not for me, but for them... I don't care if I become nothing in the end... I want them to live through the memories I've had. It's my last and final gift to them. I know I cant keep that promise of staying by their side. So instead, I'll live on by giving them my memories." He knelt down onto his knees, bringing the pendant close to his bony lips, speaking softly to it. "Just let me see them...Just one last time let me say goodbye to them. After that, you can do what you want with me..."

The necklace in his hand began to vibrate softly, going into a loud crescendo. It heated up like metal burning in a furnace. Bright white lights burst out from the gems center like heaven opening its closed gates. Sans' body also began to shine vibrantly, coating his bones and clothes with a bright yellow color. The darkness turned bright, white enveloping his body, mind, and senses. Sans was becoming one with the light, his body heating up warmer than the sun's center. A crescent shaped smile swept across his cheeks, speaking one last time before the world rewrote itself.

"I'm coming...Sweetheart."


	9. My Little Echo Flower

Frisk remained motionless since Sans died. Piles of white dust slipped from out their fingers and fell onto the ground dripping with frisk's blood.

Fear threatened to crush Papyrus. His cape danced in the wind to a silent tune. Terror held his voice with a vice-like grip. His only brother had turned to dust before him, and all he had ever done was fight with him. He fell to his knees, slanted eyes shutting. A fist continuously slammed at the ground, cracking the floor's rocky surface.

"It's all my fault...If only I had been there for him. If only I could speak with him one last time instead of yelling at him!" Papyrus filled with bitter hate towards himself. "I wanted to make him stronger by being being tough towards him... But instead..." A shaky fist flew upward, his sharp red gloves filled with scuff marks., his knuckle bones bruised.

Before the tall skeleton could slam his fist once more onto the ground, something caught his hand. A familiar touch he hadn't felt in so long. Papyrus' head rose from the ground, tears dropping from his slanted chin. He looked so vulnerable, like a child that had lost his parents. The thing that had caught his hand moved close and embraced him tightly, speaking weakly to him.

"I'm so sorry Papyrus..." The voice spoke gently like a weeping angel.

The soft fragrance of buttercups and mustard lingered and danced through the air, ridding across the wind. The voice of this person, the clothes that they wore, the flowers that grew through them. Sans had returned.

The shorter skeleton released his hold of his brother, wiping the other skeletons tears away with his thumb. "Hey. Guess who's back?" tender laughs escaped his mouth.

"S-Sans?...Brother? Is that you?" Papyrus' sharp voice hard turned timid, as if a completely different person.

"Frisk told me that you're my brother... Heh, we must have had great times together. I just wish I could have recognized you before losing that memory..." As the shorter skeleton spoke, two small arms wrapped around his waist. Frisk's eyes burned from the amount of tears they lost. Their head burrowed into his back as they sulked loudly.

"I-I thought...I thought you died..." Their voice was barely understandable as they choked on their coughs, their chest heaving and hyperventilating. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." They repeated these simple words of remorse over and over.

Sans' turned to face the human, rubbing their head softly and bringing them close. "Sorry I took so long to get back. But don't worry, I'm here now. Okay?" Ripping a portion of his shirt off, he carefully grasped Frisk's wounded arm, wrapping and pulling the cloth around the area tightly.

"Sans...I saw you turn to dust...What happened to you? Why can't you remember me?..." Papyrus' couldn't believe his eyes. His shoulder sank down, shaking with each word he spoke.

After securely tying a knot on the humans arm, he turned to face his brother. "It's a bit of a long story... Let's just say I had enough determination to get back here, and I'm not loosing my memories. I'm giving them to someone else. I'll make sure Frisk explain everything to you later. Alright?"

"Explain?..." The human looked at Sans with teary eyes as he knelt before them. tThe skeleton took his hands into theirs, smiling down at them as if he was a different person. He seemed pure, almost angel like. His thumbs rubbed softly at the human's palms.

"Now sweet heart, I need you to listen to me very carefully. Because I wont be able to say it again...Alright? I don't have much time..."

"Not much time? Sans...You aren't leaving me again r-right? You promised..." Water droplets began to form again around the human's eyes.

"Don't worry sweetheart...I'll always be with you here." He brought a his hand up to his chest, feeling the light beats of his soul growing weaker. "I just won't be in this form anymore."

"Sans, What's going on?" Papyrus asked with a shaking voice, small and timid. He reached out to place a hand on Sans' shoulder, but drew back, feeling the guilt of how he had always treated him.

"I can feel it...My soul, it's going to break again soon...But before it does, there is something I have to do." He peered at the ground, his smile fading away. "Frisk is going to take the rest of my memories. So at least, some part of me will live on forever...But please, before that happens, can you take me back to the ruins?"

Frisk's eyes grew wide, tears dripped down as fear clutched at heir body. "Sans no! More flowers will grow on you if I remember! Ill be taking your memories from you!" Their head shook back and forth, hands clasping over their eyes. " I don't want to have them taken away from you..."

"Sweetheart...You aren't taking any memories from me. I'm giving them to you." He forced a smile at them. "Papyrus...This is a bit embarrassing but..Could you maybe help a pal out and carry me back to the flower patch by the ruins?" Sans rubbed his hands on his knees that pressed up against the ground. "I can't seem to feel my legs anymore. I don't know how much longer I have before I loose all feeling to my body."

Papyrus was mortified from the words that left his brother throat but obeyed him. It was the least he could do. Standing to his knees, the tall skeleton bent over and took Sans into his arms. His body was colder than death, and yellow flowers covered almost every part of his eyes.

Frisk forced themselves up, feeling their legs wobble weakly as they came close towards the two brothers, their mind bending from the amount of blood lost.

The trio began to walk slowly across Waterfall. No echo flower was to be heard They all remained bent close to the ground, glowing dully, as if crying over the skeleton. The star like rocks from the ceiling shone down on the bodies as they walked.

Papyrus' eyes remained stuck on Sans' dazing sockets, slowly fading from black to grey.

"You see that human there?" Sans' finger pointed weakly to the human walking alongside them. "When I'm gone, I want you to protect them with everything you've got... If you truly care for me Papyrus, then care for them. They will be the only living part of me left. When I disappear from this world, my memories will belong to them."

"Brother please...I don't understand. No...I don't want to understand! Is this from being so hard on you in the past? Because if it is...I promise I can do better!" Papyrus' soul grew cold with sadness, wanting to understand what they had done wrong. Their brother didn't deserve this.

"Heh, you did nothing wrong buddy...Even if you did, I wouldn't remember. Guess i'm just too bone lazy right now to recall stuff." Sans closed his eyes and leaned his head against his brother's chest. The dying skeleton listened to the solitude of the cave, the water droplets that fell to the floor, the warm hum of his brothers soul. Everything remained quiet as they made their way out of the cave.

The three walked through Snowdin. The familiar crunch of snow rang through Sans' ears. His body was growing lighter with each passing moment, his bones feeling as weightless as a feather in his brother's arms. Tilting his head to the side, he tried to view the scenery of where he once lived, but his eyes were giving out. It hurt to blink. The vibrant colors around him turned dull and grey. the snow below Papyrus' feet looked like crushed charcoal.

They were now in the forest near the ruins. Frisk's head hung down weakly at the floor. Guilt was pulling them apart, knowing that they were responsible for doing this to Sans. A pale hand gripped at their bandaged wound, feeling the numbing pulsations around the cut. The tips of the brown jacket they wore dusted with frosty snowflakes, stiffening the fabric.

As he was being carried, Sans reached a hand down to rub Frisk's shoulder. His face looked tired and sleepy. Hollow words left his tired mouth, trying to comfort the human. "It's going to be alright."

They all made their way through the ruins after Frisk pushed the gates open. The warmness melted the frost off their clothes and the smell of the sun enveloped their senses, warming them from above. The light shone down on them. Papyrus' armor shined beautifully as he strode forward, the tips of Frisk's hair changing into a light gold color, and Sans' bones shimmering like pears.

After minutes of walking, they reached the back of the ruins. Everything around them grew dim except for the one source of light that came from a hole above.

"Are we at the ruins yet? It's getting dark around me..." Sans' voice sounded sore and painful as he struggled to speak.

"Yes we brought you where you wanted..." Papyrus' eyed the patch of flowers blowing lightly in the wind. Bending down on one knee, he laid Sans down, barely able to look him in the face. The armored skeleton clenched his jaw together, biting back tears.

Reaching his arms down, Sans weaved his fingers into the soft flowers. "It's just like how I remembered it..." He motioned a finger out towards Frisk and they sat beside him. The delicate flora creasing underneath their shorts.

"You remember this place right? This is the place where it all began..." Sans turned his head towards Frisk, but all he could see was a blurry colorless figure. He squinted his eyes as he tried to clear his vision.

They nodded, eyes staring at the flowers under them. Heartrending emotions filled their chest, and they couldn't bring themselves to look at the skeleton. Hands covered their eyes as their back hunched over.

"Hey...Don't be like that. I want my last moments of being alive to be happy. Can you smile for me sweetheart?" Sans reached his hand out, placing it onto Frisk's shoulder and squeezed lightly. Sans was growing weaker.

The human looked up, hands dropping onto raised knees. Their nose was tinted a light red, their cheeks flushed from the tears that streamed down to their chin. "I'm sorry Sans...The flowers...They are coming back again. I couldn't stop them..."

From his hazy vision, Sans perceived small grey dots covered the right side of Frisk's face.

"No sweetheart. Let the flowers bloom. It's alright." He placed a hand on the back of Frisk's head, tugging them close. His forehead resting across their shoulder. "I want you to remember everything I once knew. The memories I created with everyone here, every single moment I had spent with you. The world...That I rest...This world have created for you."

Flowers grabbed a tighter hold at his neck, restraining his breath, but he continued to smile, fighting against the pain. They continued to crawl and consume his bones, making their way through his eyes until he could no longer see.

" Welp...W-Would you look at that...I've become blind..."From within his chest, his beating soul grew quieter, its color giving off a dim light. The necklace that hung from his neck cracked softly, barely able to hold on to the string that connected it. His memories were growing weaker and harder to see, his mind was falling into shambles.

"B-Blind?..." Frisk's tears stained the exterior of his chest, loud cries leaving their dry cracked lips.

"Please Frisk...Don't cry. I told you to be happy for me...Remember? Can you keep that promise for me?"

"I-I'm not crying..." Tears continued to soak San's red shirt as the human spoke.

"Even though I've become blind, I can feel those little teardrops of yours. So please don't cry over a bonehead like me." He let go of Frisk slowly. "I need to tell you something before I forget...My memory...It's getting a bit foggy..."

The human looked up at the skeleton, the sun's rays stinging their eyes.

His hand moved upward, trying to feel Frisk's cheek. Sans was no longer able to see, his body no longer to feel. His mind, soon to not remember.

"I never thought I would be able to see you again...To experience happiness, joy, hope. You've given me so much within such a short amount of time. And, well...I just wanted to thank you. I'm so sorry for all the times I've hurt you in the past. But, knowing that I'll be able to free you, take away your pain... I'll take these flowers with me, and I'll bear the burden of death for you."

Frisk wanted to reply, but didn't know what to say. The torture of their indecision forced back their voice.

"Loving you is the promise I lived for. If you were gone, what other hope would I have?" He placed a kiss on the humans head, feeling his time running out, pulling himself away. Almost every single memory had left him. The only precious recollection he had left was the flickering black and white figure of a human he once cared for. They were smiling at him. "Heh... I can see you smiling sweetheart."

"But Sans...I thought you lost your vision." The human could barely speak, choking on both their tears and words. Their heart had the feeling of hundreds of needles pricking its surface.

"I don't need to see, to remember your smile. My little echo flower. Promise me that you'll care of my brother for me...Alright?" The dim light in his necklace flickered weakly. Cracks consumed every inch of its surface.

Frisk didn't want to reply, feeling the strike of a heart break. It was more painful than all the deaths they had experienced before. " I p-promise.." They clutched onto Sans' motionless body, embracing him tightly, not wanting him to leave their side. "I promise...I'll never forget you Sans."

Their words didn't reach Sans in time. The last flower had bloomed on his body, wiping every one of his memories away. His sockets turned white, his soul slowly splinted down the center from within. Sans no longer knew who was beside him. He didn't know where he was. He didn't know who he was. The loud metallic snap of a soul breaking boomeranged through the area.

The human remained hunched over. The bitter taste of saliva thickened within the back of their throat. Frisk's eyes stung with sour tears, their voice growing dry, scratching away at their vocal chords as they let out a screeching cry. Stands of hair stuck to their face dancing with salty drops of sweat. The pulsing of their heart sank deep into their chest, wanting to escape and crawl out their throat. They clung onto the empty clothes as flower buds spewed out from the red old shirt. The two souls that once beat as a pair now sang a solo tune. The necklace that was once around his slender neck dropped to the ground, its center completely shattered. The echo flower that wrapped around his finger fell onto Frisks lap. The human remained alone under the shinning sun, their clothes covered in yellow pollen. The outline of his body disappeared. The painful memories of the one Frisk loved, it was now just petals drifting under the sun.


	10. After The Flowers Bloom

Many months have passed since that painful memory. Although it took some time, everyone was slowly able to recover from the devastation. The world bloomed once more underground and filled with life. The fights that once broke out against monsters ceased. Everyone became more humble, caring, and loving. A few days after Sans passed on, Flowey made a reappearance, facing Frisk and apologizing from how they left so suddenly. Of course, the human welcomed them with open arms, remembering them completely. Papyrus had taken both of them under his wing, letting Frisk and the talking flower take shelter in Sans' room. The tall skeleton had become their guardian and treated them like family. Soon, every monster underground grew attached towards the small human, welcoming them into their lives with open arms.

Frisk tugged onto the rim of their top, making the golden cracked pendant sway back and forth. Their shirt's yellow fabric stuck onto their skin from the warmth in the tavern. Toriel insisted on making Frisk a new shirt since the old one was torn and stained with blood in many areas. The human chose the colors they were the most fond of. The shades of the yellow and gold flowers that had grown on Sans.

"Frisk!" Flowey shouted at the human beside them. He was resting on the counter in an old boot Frisk had found in Waterfall. He removed his mouth from the cup of water he had been drinking.

The human giggled softly and turned to face Flowey, their complexion brimming with happiness and covered in flowers. Frisk's hair was pulled back behind their ear on one side, and a large golden flower lay rested in their chestnut colored hair. Frisk placed the porcelain cup down that they held in their hands. They had been sipping their favorite drink at the tavern, Grillby's new recipe that everyone adored. Golden flower tea.

The fire man was drying a cup as always, smooth relazing music played in the background, and the setting of the room was elegant. He wore a brown buttoned up vest with rolled up sleeves, yellow suspenders that clipped over his white inside shirt, and a black belt that rapped around his dark grey pants. A golden circular flower symbol was patched onto his top on his left shoulder. His flames of grey flicked calmly though the air. Although he pretended to act like he was okay, Grillby never seemed to recover from Sans passing away.

He adjusted his broken glasses as he nodded softly to the human. Jumping out of the circular chair from where Sans once sat, Frisk waved at the monster, taking Flowey into their arms. "See you tomorrow!"

Their feet pressed into the snow as they walked, the large echo flower around their right arm swayed to and fro. That day Sans left, Frisk wanted to keep the flower. Although it had been cut from the stem long ago, it never seemed to stop growing. At first they would leave it wrapped around their forth finger. But, as time passed by, it kept growing, and growing, echoing the conversations they both shared together.

"Why haven't you gotten rid of that thing yet?" Flowey questioned with a hysterical laugh. "Aren't you sick of hearing that creepy thing talk? That's why I'm here! It better not replace me!" He crossed his leaf like arms, his face scrunching together.

The human laughed, patting Flowey's head gently. "Don't worry. No one could ever replace you."

Frisk greeted every monster they passed by. Everyone always smiled at them. Frisk had done so much for everyone. The human, with the help of Papyrus, created peace and mended everyone together.

They glimpsed at Papyrus' house in the opposite direction from where they were walking. The tall skeleton had gone on patrol again. It was his usual routine every morning. Not to capture humans, but to make sure that everyone was getting along. After a lot of hard work, he was able to accomplish his goal in becoming the leader of the royal guard. It took him quite some time to persuade Undyne, being that she was one tough monster. But, hearing about what had happened to his brother, and the happiness he wanted to give to everyone, it turned her heart soft. Never before has she seen Papyrus so passionate about doing something good. The skeleton wanted a new life, and threw away the old one he had, determined to become a better person. He was so excited that he even changed the color of his usual uniform. His armor that was once red changed into a light color of gold. He threw away his black ripped shirt and replaced it with a white one. Although, he kept his red scarf the same color. The only change was that he had sewn yellow flowers onto it. Papyrus had gathered them from the patch back at the ruins. He hoped that it would bring him closer to Sans, and always made sure the scarf hung loosely over his heart. Deep within his soul, he knew Sans was watching over him.

Frisk and Flowey walked across the suspended bridge, passing the forest, and entered the ruins. A line of yellow flowers made a path through the entire area. Toriel thought it would have been a wonderful idea to plant flowers in the area. They skipped along the path, smiling at the small monsters they passed. They walked up the slope of stairs, striding through Toriel's house until the reached the front door. It was wide open and the female goat was watering plants as usual. A garden of gold spread across the entire area.

"Welcome back Frisk, Flowey. You're here again for some of my flowers correct?" Their voice was soothing as how a mother would speak. As she placed the watering can down, Toriel's hands brushed against her white dress with a golden symbol of the ruins sewn on it. The mother's shoulder also had the flower symbol on the side, resting on top of their short sleeve. Frisk had convinced Toriel to sew everyone new clothes that circled around the color scheme of the golden flowers in the ruins. They worked day and night until every piece of clothes was done. The human wanted Sans to be remembered forever, even if it was just because of the flower symbol.

Bending down to the ground with Flowey in their arm, Frisk folded a few hairs behind their ear as they plucked buds from the ground.

"Thanks mom." They spoke with a simple smile. " I'll be back soon!"

"Now you two stay safe and make sure to not come back late. If you come back before nightfall, I'll let you have some of my freshly baking butterscotch cinnamon pie. Understand?" The female goat waved elegantly at the human and flower before tending back to her garden.

They nodded and went along their way once more, humming and following the golden path of flora.

After a long a walk, they arrived at the patch of flowers. The place were Sans' laid down his life for them. Paper flowers, and small bouquets lay scattered around his tomb stone, even a plate of old spaghetti Papyrus had made specially for Sans. Some flowers were new, and others were old. Monsters would come here every so often and leave small offerings for him.

Frisk set Flowey down onto the soft ground beside them and rested the flowers before his tomb stone. Placing a hand on it's rocky surface, they began speaking to it, as if the skeleton had never left.

"Hey Sans? How are you doing today?" They smiled kindly.

All was silent.

"I was talking with Grillby today. It seems his fire hasn't gained its color back yet...But I'm sure one day he will be happy again just like before!" They continued to smile.

Only wind and dancing flowers replied to their words.

"Papyrus is the leader of the royal guard now! He makes sure that the underground is a safe and happy place for everyone. He isn't that mean anymore, and even has a small garden in the back of the house! Its a bit silly don't you think? Asgore even gave up on capturing humans! " Their smile grew smaller as a shadow covered their eyes.

Flowey turned away from Frisk, head hanging low.

"I've tried so hard to m-make everyone get back together! We even have patches of flowers on our clothes to remember you by! S-See?" A shaky finger pointed at the cloth on Sans' jacket that they wore.

The wind blew through their hair.

" I visit you everyday...I always talk about you to everyone...To make sure they will always remember you...I hope y-you're okay..." The peered up at the sky, the sun's light blinding their vision, tears beading at their eyes.

But no one replied.

They sank down onto the earth, clinging onto the jacket around their shoulders that dusted with Sans' pollen. The blue flower that wrapped around their arm hummed softly as Frisk spoke. "I promise...I won't let anyone ever forget about you...But... if one day they do...I'll be here for you okay? Remember what you told m-me Sans? I'll always have your memories in my heart...Because... I'm your little echo flower..."

\-----------------------

The winding road of trial. The determination to stay alive is what became your demise. This bifurcated road, the place we shall part. The memories I gained, the memories you lost. After the flowers bloom, those memories you'll loose. After the flowers bloom, you gave me your memories to consume.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHH thank you so much if you have read it this far! I want to thank everyone that read this! I am sorry sorry if the English is bad! I stayed up all night finishing this! I especially want to thank all my friends that helped and supported me with making this story come true! I love you all so much! Im sorry if this story seemed rushed! If you would like to see fanart of this, please visit my instagram account @cutiepieviv it would mean the world to me!!!!


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